Indiana farmers tempted to plant early by warm spring
Many farmers across Indiana have been weighing whether to take advantage of this spring's warm weather and plant their crops earlier than usual. Doing so, however, would put them at risk.
Agriculture/Farming
Articles
Lower crop reserves raising food costs in election year
U.S. corn stockpiles are poised to be the smallest in 16 years by August and soybean reserves will be lower than the government expected, potentially accelerating food-price inflation in an election year.
EPA moves closer to approval of 15-percent ethanol gas
The federal government announced Monday it has taken a step toward wide distribution of fuel containing 85 percent gasoline and 15 percent ethanol by allowing manufacturers to register as suppliers.
Indiana fruit growers hope cold stays away after heat
Indiana fruit growers whose trees were lured into blooming weeks ahead of normal by a March heat wave surveyed their orchards Tuesday following a night of freezing or near-freezing temperatures that threatened the trees' tender blossoms.
Corn crop could be ‘huge’ on warm weather, economist says
Corn production in the United States, the world’s biggest shipper of the grain, will be “huge” as warm weather encourages farmers to plant early to avoid the risk of late-season frost damage, economist Dennis Gartman said.
Foundations try to tap grain farmers’ wealth
The average price Indiana farmers received for a bushel of corn reached a high last August of $7.18, nearly twice as much as the prior year. That kind of windfall tends to benefit farm-equipment sales, but it could also lead to more charitable giving.
CARTER: Community enthusiasm palpable with eco causes
Indianapolis is beginning to focus on environment, livability.
Lawmakers back penalties over farm lawsuits
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 6-3 Wednesday in favor of the bill that would give judges discretion on whether to order the person filing a frivolous lawsuit to pay the farm’s court costs and attorney fees.
Warmer-than-usual winter could ruin state’s fruit crops
Early warm temperatures could be bad news for the state's profitable blueberry and apple crops, which bring in more than $13 million each year. It could also hurt Indiana's growing wine-grape industry.
U.S. farm income could drop 6.5 percent in 2012
The biggest crop acreage in a generation and increasing costs for fuel, pesticides and feed will trim the record profits seen in 2011 to $91.7 billion, according to the USDA.
State Fair Commission breaks ground on ‘Glass Barn’
The $2.9 million building on the 250-acre fairgrounds campus will feature interactive exhibits focusing on new technologies used on modern farms.
Farmers plan biggest crops since 1984, led by corn
U.S. farmers will plant the most acres in a generation this year, led by the biggest corn crop since World War II, taking advantage of the highest agricultural prices in at least four decades.
Indiana moving slowly on lake phosphorus rules
A state effort to address phosphorous pollution that has fouled Indiana's waterways is moving forward slowly, but environmental groups' hopes for help from lawmakers is likely to be dashed this year.
Price of Indiana farmland at a premium
A once-in-a-generation combination of strong grain prices, high farm incomes and unprecedented interest in commodities investments has caused prices for agricultural acreage to skyrocket.
Bugs may be resistant to genetically modified corn
One of the nation's most widely planted crops — a genetically engineered corn plant that makes its own insecticide — may be losing its effectiveness because a major pest appears to be developing resistance more quickly than scientists expected.
Bad weather for some Indiana crops helped vineyards
Purdue University wine experts say lousy growing conditions this year for some Indiana crops proved ideal for the state's vineyards.
Land gift preserves 40 acres in Indianapolis suburbs
The donation to the Central Indiana Land Trust comes from farmer Van Eller, who lived most of his life on the land now surrounded by Fishers and Carmel subdivisions before he died last year at age 89.
Cost of Thanksgiving meal jumps 13 percent on food inflation
The cost of a Thanksgiving dinner in the U.S. will jump 13 percent this year, the biggest gain in two decades, as prices rose for everything from turkey to green peas to milk, the American Farm Bureau Federation said.
Farm-profit volatility boosting risk for lenders, economist says
U.S. farmers face increased financial risk because of higher operating costs and volatile commodity prices, even as income this year reaches a record, said Michael Boehlje, an economist at Purdue University.
Congress moves to create new farm subsidy
Farm-state lawmakers are moving to create a whole new subsidy that would protect farmers when their revenue drops — an unprecedented program that critics say could pay billions of dollars to farmers now enjoying record-high crop prices.